Settling the Score

Double, Double, Toil and Trouble

Sunlight streamed in through the dusty windows of the Transfiguration room, filling the neatly chaotic room with golden light. The faint smell of polished wood lingered in the air, coupled with the slightly musky scent of fresh parchment. I sighed as I slumped lower into my seat, vaguely aware of the questioning looks Katie kept sending me. I'd stayed in the Observatory a good hour or so after me and Wood's little spat, trying to refocus my mind on Astronomy and having little success. Consequently, I arrived back at the dormitories considerably late—irritable, exhausted, and not at all in the mood for recounting the whole heated tale. I'd simply walked in, flopped down onto my bed, and fallen into my usual hibernation-esque sleep within seconds.

Now, however, I really had no excuse for not telling them other than not wanting to deal with their reactions—especially Alicia's. I knew she was going to interrogate me about it sooner or later since she was the one that made him go up there in the first place. I'd fill them in eventually, but for now I just wanted some quiet time to brood. No outraged protest, no condescending reprimands for being too stubborn—just silence. It's not like I had to fake happiness this morning or anything: the day I wake up in a good mood is the day Snape does a Pantene commercial. I was just predictably irritable. Neither Alicia nor Angelina asked me anything, utterly oblivious and unable to distinguish morning grumpiness from sub-radar anger.

That left one not-so-convinced person. Katie, ever the psychoanalyst, saw right through my grumpy behavior – which could possibly explain the reason why she's been eyeing me curiously all period. Every time I so much as exhale loudly, her clever blue eyes snap over in my direction to assess me.

"Kats, stop staring at me, it's creepy," I muttered under my breath, pretending to take notes as I doodled a skull and cross-bones on the edge of my parchment.

Her eyes flickered down to the rather melodramatic sketch, dark brows furrowing. "I may be way off here, but did something happen last night?"

I sighed yet again, making her brows knit further. "Kind of," I mumbled, giving into her empathetic gaze – after all, I do owe her after the whole Lee fiasco. She still doesn't know about that.

She paused for a moment, waiting for me to continue. When I didn't, she frowned. "And?"

I shot a furtive glance to the front of the room, assessing the chances of McGonagall hearing me from all the way over there. She was absorbed under a torrent of essays, having what appeared to be a sadistic field day with her overeager correction quill, so the odds were in my favor. "Alright," I muttered, swinging my gaze back over to her with resigned expression, "so you know how I went to the Astronomy Tower yesterday to botch a few star charts?"

She nodded. "Alicia mentioned something about it."

I sighed, "Well, turns out Alicia also mentioned something about it to Wood. She told him that he should apologize, which in Alicia-speak means she probably threatened his life, and he went up to find me, and…" I trailed off at the fleeting image of his arms around me, his low, accented voice murmuring into my ear. It lasted for a moment before I shook it off, deciding it was probably best to skip that part. "Well, we sort of got into a row."

Katie snorted. "Surprise, surprise."

"No, but..."

She raised a brow, gaze cynical. "But what?"

I shook my head at her skepticism, trying to dispel the humor in her tone. "This one was serious, Kats. We both said some stuff we probably shouldn't have said, things got out of hand, and somehow it got to 'the only way you'll even be considered for the team is if you try out again, and even then it's unlikely'."

Katie's eyes grew wide at the announcement, her sardonic expression vaporizing completely. "What!?"

I shrugged somewhat stiffly, some of my old anger rekindling now that I was retelling the story. "Seems I'm more of a burden than an asset."

She began shaking her head, gaining more and more conviction as the news seemed to sink in. "That's bollocks – straight bollocks! You're one of the best players on the team, how could you possibly be a burden?"

I gave a mirthless snort. "Ask Wood – he'll spew out a whole long list of reasons."

Katie continued to stare in disbelief. "I just… how can he… what exactly did you say?"

My face scrunched a bit, knowing full well that I'd provoked him. "I… you know, called him a lousy captain. Unfair or something."

Katie reared back slightly and grimaced, her nose wrinkling. "Ooo – bad idea."

I rolled my eyes. "You don't say."

"No, it's just… you know one of the only things he's really touchy about is Quidditch and his role as captain," she explained slowly, somewhat pained look still in place on her features.

I jutted out by bottom lip in irritation – that look always annoyed me. It just seemed to scream 'it's your fault' at the top of its lungs, and that's the last thing I needed. "Yeah, well someone had to knock him of his high horse and tell him the truth," I muttered in my defense, placing my elbows on the table and resting my chin on my cupped hands.

She eyed me critically for a moment, giving me a much-needed second of space without questioning my motives. She was always very sensitive like that – knew when to get someone to talk and knew when to leave them alone. After a minute of silence, she spoke up again. "So what are you going to do?"

I sighed at the question: it was one I'd been mulling over the whole day. "I don't know."

If I didn't try out, I'd basically be quitting the team for good, but for once I'd actually be sticking to what I said and showing some self-respect. However, if I did try out, I'd be going against my convictions again and succumbing to Wood's unfair and irrational demands. Either I stick up for myself or continue to play.

The outcome pretty much sucked in both scenarios.

I stared down at the wood of my desk, dropping a hand down to push around a random piece of torn parchment. "I honestly don't know."

"What do you mean, 'you don't know'!?" Alicia snarled as she stuffed a giant roll of bread in her mouth a few hours later, chewing rather violently. "Obviously you're going to try out again, you have to!"

I rubbed my aching temples, elbows propped onto one of the thick wooden tables of the Great Hall. The spaghetti and meatballs on my plate were mildly picked at, and the din of the large room was giving me a migraine. The obnoxious blonde and steadfast brunette before me weren't much help, either. "Guys, can we just drop it for like two seconds, please?"

"Drop it, Andy?" Angelina echoed, setting her fork down. "You do realize the Slytherin match is in two weeks, don't you?"

"Yeah, well… it'll be fine," I replied a bit lamely, waving a lackadaisical hand in the air. Truth be told, I hadn't really thought about any of the upcoming matches, though the idea of training a new Seeker within a fortnight must've been stressing Wood out. Suddenly my head felt the slightest bit better.

"Andy, it won't be fine! We'll lose! We'll lose!" Alicia repeated, making me roll my eyes—she always repeated sentences like twenty times, changing the stressed word each time just to see what it'd sound like. It really got annoying at times (re: all the time).

"You won't lose, guys," I assured them, though my tone came out more annoyed than anything. "Stop being so paranoid – you may not blow them away, but you'll still win."

"You can't win a game without a Seeker," Angelina pointed out, staring me down critically and trying to find some way of getting through to me. "Ally, Kats, and I can have a hell of a game, but if our Seeker blows the Slytherins still have a fair shot."

"Irik Viper's a bloody fast Seeker, too," Alicia added, pretty blue eyes practically piercing into mine with melodrama. "The only one who can give you a real challenge, and now you're just going to nancy out and quit. Pathetic."

I narrowed my eyes at her, knowing better than to take the bait she was trying to set up. It was true, Irik Viper was the Slytherin team's biggest weapon, but there was never too much worry over him on my part because we were well-matched rivals. He was a bigheaded idiot that considered himself God's gift to Quidditch, and though he was quite good, I knew I could handle him. What he had in strength, I had in agility – and I liked to think I'm slightly faster.

I sighed inwardly as I realized that I'd never get the chance to wipe that perpetually smug look of his face – unless by some stroke of luck Wood suddenly grew his long-overdue brain and asked me to rejoin. But I doubt it. Blokes and brain don't always go hand in hand – they think with an organ, but not that one. How bloody fitting that his name is Wood.

"You're really just going to sit there in the cold, metal stands and watch us lose?" Alicia said fiercely, taking yet another huge bit of her roll and chewing it with a vengeance.

"Close your mouth, Ally, honestly," Angelina tutted, tossing a wadded napkin at the impassioned blonde before focusing her gaze back onto me. "Well?"

I exhaled in frustration, running a hand through my hair. "Look, I don't know, alright? I don't know if it's worth it to sacrifice my pride and try out again just to have this all happen again."

"Who says it's going to happen again?" Angelina asked, swirling a spoon around her steaming cup of tea.

"Five years of precedent does," I replied flatly, my hollow headache picking up yet again as an obnoxious group of third year Hufflepuffs burst into fits of high-pitched laughter. "Ow."

"Oi, munchkins – stuff it!" Alicia yelled at the congregation, gaining a satisfactory silence in return as the young girls quieted, too scared of Alicia to glare.

I heard an amused snort from behind me, and I swiveled my head to find the source – a grinning freckled boy with chaotic red hair and unhealthy amounts of mischief in his eyes. "You tell them, Colonel Spinnet."

"Oi, Fred – d'ya think Andy should quit the team or shove her pride up her arse and try out again?" Angelina threw out casually, making me glower.

Fred's expression crumpled into one of mild confusion, his rather lost gaze flitting from Angelina over to me. "Quit… try out… what?"

"I didn't quit!" I denied, growing a bit heated at the constant misunderstanding. "Well, I mean, technically I did, but I didn't think it'd be permanent – Wood just had to go and have one of his dick moments were he's irrational and makes rash decisions and all in all just sucks at life…"

I sank into a series of angry mutters as Fred continued staring incomprehensibly, eyes utterly blank. He glanced at Angelina and shrugged. "No idea what she just said."

Angelina snorted, rolling her eyes at my still mumbling form before properly explaining the situation to the redhead, making sure to but it into terms that a male could understand. At the end of the rather short tale – they didn't know all of the details – his gaze snapped over to mine. "Wiles."

I glanced up with a glower. "What?"

"Go to the try-out," he ordered, his face scarily somber.

I shook my head as Alicia raised her hands up in thanks, wishing that somebody would see it from my position – it just seems like sinking to such a pathetic level. "Listen, I know you want what's best for the team, and believe me, so do I, but—"

"Andy, just go," he interjected, though within seconds a familiar devilish grin was spreading across his lips. "I've got a plan."

I raised a brow, expression skeptical. "Do you?"

He simply winked in return, sliding into the seat next to Angelina and casually draping his arm around her. She immediately shrugged it off, rolling her eyes at the redhead – he was constantly trying to chat her up. "I've got a plan for you too, love," he murmured, smirking at her as she narrowed her eyes.

"Does it involve me smacking you?"

"No, but depending on where said smacking would take place, I'd love to incorporate it."

Alicia snorted as Angelina scoffed, though the slightest hint of a smile tipped her lips up. "Pervy wanker."

"Oi, Fred!"

My mildly amused gaze flitted over to the tall form of George Weasley, who was waltzing up to the table with Lee Jordan in toe. My slight shift in mood plummeted instantly – I'd successfully avoided him up until now. Good thing Katie wasn't here ye—

"Scoot, I'm starving!"

My eyes flattened as I caught a glimpse of dark, plaited hair out of the corner of my vision. Katie plopped down next to me with an innocent grin, immediately grabbing a serving spoon and piling mounds of spaghetti onto her plate. Life loves me. Like, really – it adores me. It would be cruel of it to rob me of such a socially awkward experience, don't you think? Thanks, Life – I appreciate it. Kudos for timing, too.

"Fred, tell me you love me," George demanded, eyes burning with excitement as he finally reached the table.

"Why?" Fred asked, raising a brow. George made a few rushed hand gestures that didn't seem quite human, and within three seconds flat Fred's eyes were as wide as saucers. "Love's an understatement!"

"Three dozen!"

"Bloody hell!"

The two stood grinning like maniacs while everyone else stared through knitted brows, trying to puzzle the odd exchange out. Judging by the unwavering looks of confusion everyone was donning, no one was having much success, though Lee looked oddly detached from the scenario. I followed his distracted gaze to my left, where my eyes met Katie's quizzical frown. She looked delightfully pretty and confused, eyes bright and in search for some sort of answer to the Weasley twins' odd antics, and I sighed miserably.

"Oi, this can help me with my plan for you, Andy!" Fred announced, his gaze flying over to me.

"What plan?" George asked, confusion replacing some of his excitement.

"Tell you later, you can help," Fred responded, a devilish smile spreading over his lips – you could almost see the schemes coming together in his eyes. "But for now – three dozen, you say?"

I watched through perplexed eyes as the pair got up and wandered off, grabbing Lee Jordan offhandedly and forcing him to join them. Relief flooded me: bloody hell, at least one thing went in my favor. No Lee, no Katie confrontation.

"What the hell was that about?" Alicia asked, voicing the thought on everyone's mind as she slathered butter onto her fifth roll of the night.

"Dunno, but it's always double the trouble with the Tomato Twins," Angelina warned, toying with the teabag in her cup.

"And it looks like you're caught in the middle of it," Katie teased me, twirling a large swirl of spaghetti around her fork and bringing it to her lips. "Have fun with that."

"Will do," I responded sarcastically, though I was rather curious as to what exactly the Weasley's were cooking up in those half-baked brains of theirs. Their stunts either worked out spectacularly, or…

Well.

For once in my life, I think I'll give optimism a shot.

Author's Note: Very short, transition chapter – I know there's no Oliver but I'm being a bit to generous with him I think. I've got to create some suspense! Anyway, a bit of a boring fluff bit to get the wheels turning for the future plot – what exactly are the Weasley's dreaming up? Guess you'll find out later, but for now – review!